Ageing in the Twenty-First Century: - HelpAge International

Teresa Minja of the Tanzania
Social Protection Network
speaks to the United Nations
Open-ended Working Group
on Ageing about violence and
abuse against older people.
Ina Voelcker/HelpAge International
Delivering the human rights of
older persons
“The promotion and protection of all human rights and
fundamental freedoms, including the right to development,
is essential for the creation of an inclusive society for all
ages in which older persons participate fully and without
discrimination and on the basis of equality.” (Madrid Plan,
para. 13)
The United Nations is taking steps to strengthen older
people’s rights and making a rights-based approach to
elder abuse more visible. Three important achievements
have been made in the past two years.
In 2010, the Committee for the Elimination of all Forms
of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) adopted
a General Recommendation on older women and
protection of their human rights. While not legally
binding, this provides specific language related to the
violation of the human rights of older women and how
these can be remedied.
In 2011, the United Nations established the Open-ended
Working Group on Ageing (OEWG), the first dedicated
body created by the international community to address
the human rights situation of older men and women
and to consider a stronger protection regime.
Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 65/182 article
28, the OEWG’s mandate is to consider the existing
international framework, its gaps and ways to address
these including, as appropriate, the consideration of
further instruments and measures.290
A third encouraging step is the approval by the United
Nations of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day as an
international day on 15 June which was celebrated for
the first time in 2012. This represented the culmination
of a multi-year campaign initiated by the International
Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse in 2006.
It publicized activities around the world to raise
awareness and promote public education on elder abuse.
Also important is the 2011 Report of the Secretary-
General to the General Assembly on the follow-up to the
Second World Assembly on Ageing, 291 the first report to
focus entirely on the human rights situation of older
persons. The report highlighted four clearly identifiable
human rights challenges for older people across the
globe: discrimination; poverty and inadequate living
conditions; violence and abuse against older people;
and lack of special measures, mechanisms and services
for older people.
Prejudice against and stigmatization of older people,
known as “ageism”, is widespread, yet seldom addressed
as a form of discrimination. Discrimination suffered
by older people often happens in combination with
other factors, including disability, sex, health,
socioeconomic condition, race, ethnicity, nationality,
religion, and others.
Despite the fact that “age” is not explicitly listed as a
prohibited ground of discrimination in most human
rights treaties, these lists are illustrative. They include
an open-ended category (for example “other status”),
under which treaty monitoring bodies have tackled
concerns about discrimination against older persons
as well as violation of some specific rights. 292 Similarly,
some special procedure mandate holders have devoted
thematic reports to older people or have called attention
to specific issues in their country mission reports.
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